The Federal Government is advancing plans to integrate digital education into Nigeria’s Almajiri system, in a move to address the country’s rising population of out-of-school children through technology-driven learning and skills development.

The initiative is being driven through a collaboration between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE), following a recent high-level engagement at NITDA headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement by the tech agency, NITDA.

Muhammad Sani Idris, Executive Secretary of NCAOOSCE, says the Almajiri system is facing deep-rooted structural challenges affecting children’s welfare and access to education.

According to him, these challenges include parental abdication of responsibility, widespread street begging, vulnerability to exploitation, and the growing number of out-of-school children across the country.

Idris called for stronger institutional collaboration to reposition the system through digital education and structured skills acquisition.

“He requested NITDA’s collaboration to transform the system through digital education and skills acquisition,” the Commission says in a statement.

In response, Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA, proposed the deployment of the agency’s Digital Literacy for All initiative through existing Almajiri structures.

The strategy, according to Inuwa, will leverage members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as digital literacy champions, integrate technology training into Almajiri learning centres, and establish digital hubs to deliver basic to advanced digital skills.

Both agencies say the framework is designed to bridge learning gaps and expand access to modern competencies for vulnerable children who are currently outside the formal education system.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to using technology as a tool for inclusive education and national development, announcing the establishment of a joint implementation committee to coordinate the rollout of the programme.

The collaboration reflects a broader shift in Nigeria’s education policy, where digital literacy is increasingly being positioned as a strategic instrument for tackling exclusion and youth vulnerability.

Nigeria continues to grapple with one of the largest out-of-school children populations globally, driven by poverty, insecurity in parts of Northern Nigeria, and systemic barriers to formal education. The Almajiri system, historically rooted in traditional Islamic learning, has in recent years become associated with street begging and heightened child vulnerability, particularly in urban centres.

The proposed intervention signals a transition from welfare-based responses to a more structured, skills-driven model, where technology serves as both an educational platform and an empowerment tool.

However, stakeholders acknowledge that implementation will require addressing key constraints, including funding, infrastructure readiness, training capacity, and connectivity challenges in underserved communities.

The newly constituted joint committee is expected to define operational guidelines, deployment frameworks, and scale-up pathways for the initiative.